Typographical composing, casting, and distributing machine



May 7, 1957 L. ROSSETTO TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING, CASTING AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16! 1955 "Hllmulh 4 sheets-sneer 1 ATTORNEYS L ROSSETTO May 7, 1957 May 7, 1957 L. ROSSETTO TYPOGRAPHICAL COMPOSING, CASTING AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Aug. v16,. 1955 nl l 4 Sheets-Sheet. 3

INVENTOR.

f! TTORNE Y May 7, 1957 L. RossETTo A 2,791,320

TYPOGRAPHICAL coMPosING, CASTING AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Filed Aug. 16.N 1955 4 sheets-sheet 4 6J-lli agg l I f TTORNEYS TYPGRAPHICAL COMPOSING, CASTING, AND DISTRIBUTING MACHINE Louis Rossetto, Kings Point, N. Y., assigner to li/iergen1 thaler Linotype Company, a corporation of New York Application August 16, 1955, Serial No. 528,630 15 Claims. (Cl. 199-330 his invention relates to typographical composing and slug casting machines, and particularly to those operable at high speed under automatic control. In these machines, the circulating matrices are released from a magazine in the order in which their characters are to appear in print, and then assembled in line together with expansible spacebands; the composed line transferred to the face of a slotted mold; the mold filled with molten metal to form a type bar or slug against the matrices which produce the type characters thereon; and the matrices as well as the spacebands thereafter returned to their respective magazines from which they started.

While the demand for these high speed machines is steadily increasing, it has been found in practice that, due to the great decrease in time allowed for the assembling, casting and distributing operations, the brass matrices and the steel spacebands (particularly the latter) become overheated to such extent that they frequently have to be partly or completely discarded and replaced at considerable expense to the consumer. That is to say, and to be more explicit, during the casting operation small protuberances of type metal gradually are built up on the outer faces of the shorter and relatively fixed members of the spacebands at points adjacent their casting edges in the vicinity of the routing notches of the matrices where the intaglio characters are located. As a result and when such protuberances remain temporarily unnoticed, they cause a bending or a breakage of the opposed side walls of the intaglio characters and thus give rise to the difficulties stated.

The present invention is intended to overcome such difficulties and contemplates a cooling system which includes means whereby air from a constantly `driven fan or blower may be directed against the casting edges of the matrices and spaeebands at preselected stations both before and after they finally are returned to their respective storage magazines.

In the embodiment illustrated, the cooling system includes a horizontally disposed hose connection leading from the blower through appropriate-intermediate equipment to a preselected slug casting mold; branch piping leading upwardly to the spaceband storage magazine and the adjacent upper transfer channel; and special pipe c0n nections whereby air from the blower may be discharged not only against the casting edges of the matrices as they are advanced through the distributor box but also into the magazine in which they are stored.

ln the accompanying drawings, the invention has been shown in preferred form only, and obviously many changes and variations may be made therein without departure from its spirit. lt therefore should be understood that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are specified in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a front elevationof a portion of a Linotype machine equipped withthe cooling apparatgs and :showing the location of the various cooling terminals;

nited States latent Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the distributor box and showing an air cooling terminal applied thereto;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on the lines 3-3 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation showing the vertically movable magazine unit and the improved air cooling equipment for the individual magazines therein;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view o'f Fig. 4; l

Fig. 6 is avertical section,` on an enlargedscale, through the upper transfer channel and showing the air cooling terminal associated therewith;

Fig. 7 is a vertical section, on the same scale as Fig. 5, taken through the spaceband box or magazine and the air cooling terminal applied thereto;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation, partly in section and broken away, showing portions of two adjacent magazines and the means employed -for directing air from the blower against the matrices descending therethrough;

Fig. 9 is a side-elevation showing the soft felt-like air seals for two adjacentmagazines;

vFig. l0 is a detail perspective view showing a portion of a magazine in operative position with its air supply pipe in registry with the air supply terminal;

Fig. ll is a detail vertical section through the air tight connection as establshedbetween the air supply terminal and the air supply pipe for an adjacent magazine; and

Figs. l2 and 13 are detail views, on an enlarged scale, to indicate the manner in which the side walls of matrix characters are subjected to damage during justification by the accumulation of type metal on the spacebands at corresponding points.

In the normal operation of the machine (see Fig. l), the matrices x are releasedfrom a storage magazine V9 under the control of a keyboard 10 and, as they escape,

Y they are adapted to pass downwardly through a channeled raceway or assembler entrance 11 onto aA conveyor belt 12 which delivers them one after another to the customary assembler 13 wherein they are composed'in line, the assembler `thereafter being raised as usual to locate the composed'line in registry with the intermediate channel 14 through which the line is transferred to a line transporter or first elevator 15. The line transporter then descends to'position the composed line between a pair of vise jaws 16 and 17, respectively, and

r in front of a slotted mold 18 carried by a disk or wheel 19 rotatably mounted on a fore-and-aft slide (not shown), the wheel 19 previously having been rotated clockwise through a quarter turn to carrythe mold from its vertical ejecting position to its horizontal casting position. The mold slide then advances to locate the front face of the mold against the composed line; the vmold ,filled with molten metal to form a type bar or slug againstthe matrices which produce the type characters thereon; the mold slide retracted to carry the mold out of contact with the composed line; the wheel 19 rotated through a .threequarter turnto-shift the mold 18 from its horizontal-casting positionvback to the vertical slugejecting position; and themoldslide after the slugl ejecting operation, finally retracted as ,the machine cycle of operation is completed.

Duringthe casting operation, considerable heat is absorbed by the walls of themoldand, as illustrated in the patent to A. M. BramblettNo. 2,170,005, means have heretofore been. provided for-cooling a selected mold after each casting operation and while it is located temporarily in the slug ejecting position. Such means includes ahousing member 20 which opens from thev upper end of an air duct 21 and is arranged to direct air at high velocity from a blower 22 through said duct and against the top and rear side faces of the mold cap. Theblower 22(1Fig. l) is arrangedbehindthekeyboard 10 on abracket 23 of the machine frame andthe power fordriving the blower is `supplied by the so-called intermediate shaft 24 through the medium of a drive pulley mounted thereon, and a lay shaft 26 operatively connected to the blower shaft 27.

According to the present invention, it is proposed to tap the air duct 21 and the casing of the blower 22 so that air from the latter may be directed not only against the cast- 'ing'edges of the constituents of a composed line supported in the upper transfer channel 28 as well as against the bands after their delivery to their storage box 29, but also against the casting edges of the matrices as they are advanced through the distributor box 30 and after they have been delivered to their respective storage magazine 9. The connections between the blower 27 and such preselected air cooling stations, for the matrices and the spacebands during their course of travel through the machine, will now be described.

As best shown in Figs. l, 6 and 7, the conveniently lo cated air duct 21 above mentioned is tapped to accommodate the lower end of an upright pipe section 31 which, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, is provided at its upper end with suitable branch fittings 32 and 33, the former being attached to one end of an air discharge nozzle 34 secured to the rear wall 28a of the upper transfer channel 28, and the latter to one end of a similar discharge nozzle 35 attached to the rear side Wall 29EL of the spaceband magazine 29. Consequently, and as the matrices of a composed line subsequent to the casting operation are transferred as usual from the first elevator 15 into engagement with the toothed bar 36 of the second elevator 37 preparatory to elevation and distribution, they as well as the spacedbands will be subjected to the cooling influence of the air from the nozzle 34, and when the matrices there after are lifted by the bar 36 out of the channel 28 and the spacebands thereupon are delivered to their storage box or magazine 29, they again, and advantageously so, will be subjected to the cooling influence of the air from the nozzle 35. Incidentally, the matrices x are formed as usual with tooth combination webs x1 and upper and lower projecting ears x2 and x3, respectively, whereby they may obtain dual support during their course of travel through the machine. The spacebands, on the other hand, individually present a relatively long wedge shaped member y1 and a shorter similarly shaped member y2, the latter being -formed with projecting ears y3 whereby the spacebands obtaintheir individual support in a more restricted course of travel.

It has been found in practice that the matrices retain the heat transmitted thereto during the slug casting operations, and since these operations take place in such a rapid predetermined order of succession in the modern high speed machines, such as the Comet, sutiicient time is not allowed for the matrices or the spacebands to cool in avoiding the diiculties hereinbefore mentioned. That is to say, even though the brass matrices should resist adhesion of molten type metal at the time of casting, they may readily transmit heat of the molten metal to immediately adjacent spacebands at the time of justification and then have it intensified during the casting operation which follows. Therefore, a second upright pipe section 38, which preferably is connected at its lower end directly to the blower 22 (Fig. l) is employed for directing currents of air through separate branch piping connections 39 and 40 to the distributor box 30 and also to the magazine area. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the distributor box 30 is located at the leading end of a single distributor unit which includes, as usual, a distributor bar 41 and the regular set of three constantly driven distributor screws 42, to which the matrices of a composed line advanced through the box 30 are delivered one after another by a vertically reciprocating lifting finger 43. Operation of the finger 43 is of course synchronized with the rotary speed of the screws and is effected in the usual way through the medium of a cam controlled bell crank lever 44. In other words, as a line of matrices is transferred from the bar of the second elevator into the distributor box 30, it will be stopped against shoulders 45 of the box rails..46, with the leading matrix of the line disposed in the vertical path of the lifting finger 43 and with most of the following matrices having their casting edges directly opposed to the rear side wall 3l)a of the box. This box wall 30a (Figs. 2 and 3) is formed with a longitudinal slot 48 and provided with an air discharge nozzle 49 which registers with said slot and which is connected to the upper end of the pipe connection 39 through an intermediate elbow fitting 50 whereby air is discharged into the distributor box and directly against the casting edges of the matrices passing therethrough. I

Attention now is directed to Fig. 4 wherein a series of the magazines 9, arranged between the upright side members 51 and 52 of the so-called distributor bracket 53, are shown supported collectively upon a main base frame 54 which is movable upwardly and downwardly to locate any one of the magazines in operative relation to the assembling and distributing mechanisms'. Specifically, the magazines 9vare mounted, as usual, on separate base frames 9a including the base frame 54, and their grooved top plates 9b (Figs. 8 and l0) are formed with three rows of perforations 9c extending transversely thereof and located a predetermined distance from the discharge ends of the magazines. Separate communicating air chambers or nozzles 55 also are provided and arranged to direct air from the blower 22 through the perforations 9c and against the matrices of adjacent columns in any selected magazine while it is in the operative position. Since the magazines are open at both ends, the air will readily escape, passing along the channels between adjacent matrix columns in contact with the matrices. The air chamber 55 for the uppermost magazines (Figs. 4 and 5) is supported between the free ends of a pair of side arms 56, hingedly connected at their upper ends to the base frame 9EL of said magazine, and is held resliently in place under the tension of a pull spring 57 anchored to said frame; whereas the air chambers 55 for the other magazines are secured respectively to the undersides of the base frames 9a for the magazine immediately above, including the one for the uppermost magazine 9. To insure an air tight contact between the air chambers 55 and the top plate of the individual magazines with which they are associated, each chamber on its lower face and adjacent its outer edges, i.: provided with strips of suitable air sealing material 58 that will prevent the escape of air as it is directed through the apertures 9c into the magazine associated therewith.

As .best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the air supply to the chamber 55 of any preselected magazine, through the branch piping connections 40 before mentioned, is also automatically sealed against escape by the frictional engagement of two opposed yieldable [felt-like washers 59 and 60 as a magazine is raised or lowered into operative position. The washer 59 (Figs. l0 and ll) is permanently attached to `an air inlet fitting 6l at one end of the respective chambers 55, while the washer 60 likewise is attached to a similar fitting 62 at the discharge end of the piping branch 40. To properly locate and sustain the fitting 62 against possible displacement. it is secured to the free end of a horizontally disposed arm 63 (Fig. 4) projecting forwardly from the upright member 52 of the distributor bracket 53, which also gives support through the medium of a relatively small bracket member 64 to the contiguous branch piping 40 of the upright pipe section 38.

It should now be clear, according to the foregoing description, that the air cooling system portrayed will overcome the difficult-ies frequently arising from the accumulation of solidified type metal on the spacebands in the vicinity of the matrix characters during successive casting operations in a machine driven at high speeds. Figs. l2 and 13 illustrate what has heretofore occurred -in the absence of such a cooling system. A semi-globular protuberance y4 of hardened type metal, located immediately adjacent the casting edge of the shorter wedge shaped member y2 of the spacebands, is gradually built up and so located that unless removed it eventually will either bend or break through the opposing and relatively fragile side wall of an adjacent matrix character as the longer wedge shaped member y1 of a spaceband is driven upwardly during the justifying operation. As a result and as previously stated, the matrices thus damaged become unfit for further use and have to be replaced before the aiiected font can be used again.

While the air system is intended primarily for cooling the matrices and spacebands as described, it will also serve to clean them by removing any foreign particles, including metal chips, which may adhere to them as they circulate through the machine.

What is claimed is:

l. In a typographical machine of the Linotype class equipped with circulating matrices and spacebands, the combination of an upper transfer channel, and an air cooling system including an air discharge member supported adjacent said channel and directing air against the matrices and spacebands while passing therethrough.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the air discharge member is located on the rear side wall of the upper transfer channel and directs air against the casting edges of the matrices and spacebands through a slot formed in said rear side Wall.

3. In a typographical machine of the Linotype class equipped with circulating matrices and spacebands, the combination of a spaceband storage magazine, and an air cooling system including an air discharge member supported adjacent said magazine and directing air against the spacebands stored therein.

4. The combination according to claim 3, wherein the air discharge member is located on the rear side wall of the spaceband magazine and directs air against the casting edges of the spacebands through a slot Vformed in said rear side wall.

5. In a typographical machine of the Linotype class equipped with circulating matrices and spacebands, the combination of a distributor box, yand an air cooling system including an air discharge member supported adjacent said box and directing air against the matrices while passing therethrough.

6. The combination according to claim 5, wherein the lair disch-arge member is located on the rear side wall of the distributor box and directs air against the casting edges of the matrices through a slot formed in said rear side wall.

7. In a typographical machine of the Linotype class equipped with circulating matrices and spacebands, the

combination of a matrix storage magazine, and an air 5 cooling system including an air discharge member located adjacent the magazine and directing air against the matrices stored therein.

8. The combination according to claim 7, wherein the air discharge member is located above the top wall of the magazine and discharges air into the magazine through perforations formed in said top wall.

9. In a typographical machine of the Linotype class equipped wit-h circulating matrices and spacebands, the combination of a plurality of matrix storage magazines movable upwardly and downwardly to bring one or an other into operative position, an air cooling `system including an air discharge member located adjacent each magazine for directing air against the matrices stored therein, an air supply pipe common to all of the discharge members, and means for automatically connecting the supply pipe to the air discharge member of the magazine in operative position and for disconnecting said pipe from the remaining air discharge members.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the connection of the supply pipe to the dilerent air discharge members is effected by the upward or downward movement of the magazines.

l1. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the magazine in operative position is arranged to be swung upwardly from its operative position for purposes of removal, and wherein the air supply pipe is automatically disconnected from and reconnected to the air discharge member for said magazine as the latter is swung `upwardly and downwardly `from and to its operative position.

12. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the air discharge member for the topmost magazine is located on a pair of swinging arms which permit the magazine to be swung upwardly for removal.

l3. The combination according to claim 9, wherein the air discharge members for the different magazines are mounted independently of the magazines to permit the latter to be removed while the air discharge members remain in the machine.

14. The combination according to claim 13, wherein the air discharge members for the magazines below the topmost magazine are mounted in the base frames of the overlying magazines, respectively.

l5. The combination according to claim 14, wherein the air discharge member for the topmost magazine is mounted in `an overlying support attached to the distributor brake.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 827,238 Holmes July 31, 1906 1,960,650 Stouges May 29, 1934 2,560,648 Hilpman July 17, 1951 

